Potions Apprentice
by thehalf.bloodedprince
Summary: We begin our journey with a trope I haven't used before… not exactly, anyway. This is slightly AU, as Severus and Albus (and maybe some others) are still living, but it takes place just after the Trio leave Hogwarts. Hermione has petitioned the Headmaster (Dumbledore) for an apprenticeship in Potions. Severus is not pleased.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Why?

**A/N: I have got permission to rewrite this fanfic by llorolalluvia and if you want to make it sure just msg her/him. I got inspired by her/his fanfic and I noticed that it wasn't completed so I just asked if I could rewrite it and I got the permission. I have never done anything like this before and I am so excited. I will try to do a better job with this fanfic than I did with _"On The Other Side of Hate". _I promise it.**

**I hope you like it as much I like it myself. And this story takes its place after the golden trio has left Hogwarts. Dumbledore wanted Hermione to stay and forced (almost) Severus to take her on as an apprentice. ****You can guess that Severus isn't pleased.**

* * *

The damp chill of the dungeons was a welcome respite from the baked Summer air wafting through the rest of the castle. Down here, it was easy to pretend the day wasn't perfectly sunny, or that the sky wasn't perfectly blue and dreadfully cheerful. Even the distant laughter of his colleagues basking in the freedom of a newly begun holiday could not penetrate the ancient stillness of the Slytherin domain.

But even those ancient stones couldn't block out thoughts of _her._

Severus Snape sat behind the overlarge desk in his office, staring down with blank eyes at the parchment before him. Summer was his respite! It was the only time of year the castle was completely free of students. He never felt more at peace than he did strolling through the empty corridors, taking his time, searching for no one. Summer was a time for locking himself away, alone, to study the latest advances in Potion-making. To make some advances of his own.

One such project sat before him; an idea he'd had a month ago and set aside until his Summer respite came. And now here he was, staring down at it, seeing nothing but vague scribbles in a spidery hand. His looming doom distracted him.

Severus let his head fall into his hands, massaging his now-aching temples and allowing his eyes to slide closed. And there she was. The little nuisance. That insufferable know-it-all. Somehow, she had convinced Albus (_without so much as breeching the subject with me!_) to assign her an apprenticeship in Potions… under _him._ He'd given the old man hell for it. To no avail.

The apprenticeship was to begin this Summer, to give her time to adjust to the position before it was complicated by the general chaos of having students around (_her old classmates, dear GOD_). And she was moving to the dungeons. _Merlin._ His respite, his hiding place, his home… was becoming hers in a matter of hours. He hated her for it.

Severus lurched to his feet, pacing across his office as if looking for something. An idea. A distraction. Anything to get that loathsome face out of his mind. But everywhere he looked, she's what he saw. That smiling face, so proud, so exalted (probably by the outcome of her NEWTS). He had studied her briefly as the students of her year had left the grounds for the very last time (_supposedly)._ There had been a strange emotion connected to watching that particular student go. Of course, there had been relief, just as he had been relieved to see Potter waltz out those double doors. But there had also been a sense that things would not be the same without Granger in his classes. It was almost… disappointing.

_Foolishness! She was merely a challenge; a distraction. _But the thought irked him, nonetheless. Hermione Granger leaving Hogwarts had seemed like the end of an era. True. But there had been others who had made similar impacts. And there would be others down the road. And anyway, why the hell was he contemplating this so much!?

The Potions Master swept from his office and went to ready his Potions lab. He began by moving the desks to arrange a new workspace. Usually, this would involve space enough to accommodate only himself. This time, however, he needed to arrange for space for two. He shuddered. A whole summer locked alone with that curly-haired nuisance? For once, he almost wished he could skip the season and head straight into new classes with the next batch of brats.

When Severus realized he was fiddling nervously with his instruments, he spun away from the assembled equipment and stalked back to his office.

When he realized he had only just left his office for the exact same reason, he bristled. But there was nowhere to go, nothing to do until he had settled things with Granger. She was due at some point "this afternoon," and noon had been almost an hour ago. Severus fumed, allowing his frustration to simmer just beneath the surface. Hermione Granger was known for her punctuality. She should have been here by now!

…*~*J*~*…

Hermione hesitated just outside of Professor Snape's office. Professor Dumbledore had given her a cheerful welcome into the fold of academic life here at Hogwarts. Then he'd sent her on her way with little more than a "you know where it is, of course." And here she was. All of her belongings were currently being moved (by House Elves, despite her insistence that she could move them herself) to private quarters down here in the dungeons. Near Snape. _Professor Snape._ It wasn't exactly a detail she'd bargained for. But this was what she wanted, after all. Hermione sighed. _Sometimes the most worthwhile goals present the most difficult challenges._ And a challenge he was. She hadn't even breeched the subject with him, yet. _Oh, dear._

Of course, by now Professor Snape had certainly been made aware of her new position as his apprentice. _He can't have been happy about that._ And he would be the right bastard that he'd always been. And he'd be the biggest obstacle every step of the way. But then, when this was over, she'd be fully eligible for any Potions position in the English-speaking world. The ends were worth the means. They were. She was certain.

She knocked.

He didn't answer. Hermione's breath caught and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. All of her fears and doubts bobbed at the surface and it took everything she had to knock again. She waited.

"Yes?" came his surly voice from the other side of the door.

_That bastard!_ He had intentionally forced her to knock twice. But she brushed that aside. This was the beginning of a new partnership. It would not do to begin it in anger. And so she opened the door.

"Hello, Professor."

Snape's eyes darted up only briefly from the parchment on which he was apparently scribbling. But in that moment, he somehow managed to convey a world of contempt and impatience. At length, he set his quill aside and folded his hands atop the desk. "Good afternoon, Miss Granger."

Hermione suppressed the urge to shudder. This was a man she had not long ago hoped to leave behind her in the past. And yet, there was only to press forward.

Hermione lifted her chin only a fraction, ignoring the flicker of annoyance in her old Professor's eyes. "I thought I'd drop by to discuss our new arrangement."

"Ah, yes. The arrangement you had the audacity to _arrange_ without so much as breeching the topic with me."

Hermione shuffled on her feet but remained strong. "I thought it more proper to seek permission through the Headmaster. I assumed he would talk it over with you."

Snape glared down his crooked nose at her. "Have you any idea, Miss Granger, just how intensive an apprenticeship with me will be?"

"I'm counting on it, Sir."

He smirked. "I doubt you will survive the Summer, let alone the two years it takes to fulfill the requirements. And I can promise you now, I have no intention of making the process any easier for you."

Hermione looked him dead in the eye. "I'm up to the challenge, Professor."

He seemed even more frustrated by that. She could see anger burning in the depths of his eyes. "Very well. We will begin before breakfast in the morning. Be in the lab at 6 o'clock sharp, or the repercussions will be devastating. Do not assume that I have no power over you, Miss Granger. If anything, an apprenticeship requires a deeper dependence upon your submission to my authority. If you provoke me, I will have the power to make your stay in this castle a living hell. And I have no qualms about ruining what has been for you up until now a mere playground. Your classes have been basic and elementary. You may think you are prepared for the complexities of my craft, but you will undoubtedly face failure at a rate as yet unprecedented in your young, naïve academic career. If at any point you decide that this path is not what you had hoped it might be, you are welcome to quit." He spat the last word with such vitriol that Hermione nearly recoiled. But she had known going into this that it wouldn't be easy. She was prepared to stand her ground.

"Thank you, Professor. But, I'm sure your warnings are unnecessary."

His lips twisted in a cruel sneer and he rested his chin on his steepled fingers, regarding her with dark humor that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "I wish you luck, Miss Granger." Somehow, she didn't think he meant it. "Six o'clock in the morning. Don't make me wait."

Hermione nodded, wishing that she had had an in to thank the Professor for allowing her to take up an apprenticeship with him. Somehow, this conversation hadn't gone exactly as she'd imagined it would. Ah, well. She'd find a time tomorrow to show him her appreciation. And she wouldn't let him down. No, Hermione Granger was determined to be the best Potions apprentice Hogwarts School had ever seen.

And so she retreated, heading along the cold, dark passageway to her new home. This still felt like enemy territory. As far as she could tell, she was placed about halfway between the Potions lab and the Slytherin Common Room. It really did feel like a dungeon.

Taking a deep breath, she faced the painting of some descendant of Slytherin (thinking all the while that Snape had certainly chosen this for her doorframe) and gave the short password Professor Dumbledore had given her, _Fizzing Whizbee_. She would worry about changing the password later. For now, it was time to make this prison cell a home.

The walls were bare stone, and the rooms were cramped. The living area had barely enough space for a desk and two chairs by the fire. The bedroom came equipped with a small, rickety bed (Slytherin green quilt included. Yay), an old wardrobe whose doors almost didn't have enough space to open fully because of the proximity to the bed, and a trunk at the foot that looked to have been owned by some servant of Slytherin, himself. But the bathroom nearly made up for that. For, despite the lack of counter space, the cramped positioning of the toilet, and the narrow stall of the newly renovated shower, there was a lovely stone bathtub that she longed to fill with hot, bubbly water right away. _Perhaps after tea tonight,_ she decided. That little reward in mind, Hermione set to work unpacking and making this place her own.

_Yes_, she thought to herself, _I will overcome._

* * *

llorolalluvia I owe you a huge thanks and you deserve it very well. I hope you will enjoy this fanfic as well as the other viewers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Nightmare

**A/N: Hermione had a nightmare and Severus awakes her. He is going to be a total brat in this chapter. **

* * *

Hermione had unpacked her belongings to her new room and decided to take a bath. _"I wonder what I am going to learn tomorrow, maybe he isn't that bad. No, he is even worse. I just hope that he wouldn't be a total brat because as it is I saved his life after the final battle." _Hermione thought and opened the faucet to puts some hot water to the bathtub.

Hermione went to her room and tried to find a towel. She went back to the bathroom and looked around if she saw any shampoo or soap. There was none as she had already guessed so she went back to her bedroom to get some. She tried the water and it was adequately warm. Hermione took off her clothes and stepped to the bathtub. It felt like heaven and she relaxed a bit. Maybe three years with Snape wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Severus was sitting in his living room in front of the fireplace reading a book. He had a glass of whiskey in his hand and he gulped it down. _"Damn that know-it-all! Why couldn't she understand that she shouldn't have taken Dumbledore's offer?" _Severus thought angrily, _"And damn that old meddling manipulative man. He knows the right ways to manipulate me to do something I don't want to. But I guess this ain't so bad after all. I will make her the next three years like a hell. Yes, I am going to do just that."_

Severus had drank all the contents of the whiskey bottle and was now terribly drunk. He made his way to his rooms and tried to find the Sober-Up potion. He didn't want to regret anything in the morning when he was supposed to teach the insufferable know-it-all, Hermione Granger. "Damn, now my head is bounding." And so Severus went to search a potion for his headache from his stores.

Severus wanted to scream with pain because he couldn't find the potions he needed right now. _"Maybe I could make Granger do... No, absolutely not. She ain't good enough." _Severus thought and took some dreamless sleep potion with him and went to his bedroom. This night he would sleep well or actually that was what he thought until...

* * *

Severus woke up at 3 am when he heard someone screaming. "I should have known that the dreamless sleep wouldn't work anyway," he mumbled and got up from his bed. When he got out of his bedroom and walked towards the door which led to Hermione's room the screaming got louder and louder.

"I should have known this," Severus said and scowled the handle of the wooden door as it was the person screaming. He carefully opened the door and took a step into Hermione's chambers. Severus got next to Hermione's bed and tried to think the best way to awake her.

"Miss Granger," he said as silkily as he could and shook the girl. For Severus' surprise, Hermione woke up with a start her wand in her hand and it was raised straight into his chest level.

"Put your wand down Miss Granger, I don't want to be blinded by you," Severus growled and glared at her.

"I am sorry Prof... Sir. I just got scared. I..." Hermione began but was interrupted by now scowling Severus.

"I don't care, all I care for is that I get back to sleep. Good night Miss Granger," and with that Severus swept out from the room leaving behind angered Hermione Granger.

_"DAMN THAT MAN!" _Hermione thought frustrated and got up from her bed. _"I will get some dreamless sleep so I don't see the nightmare again." _Hermione went to her own little storage where she kept the potion she needed. She kept the stores always with her wherever she went. Hermione wasn't smart for nothing. She took a vial of dreamless sleep and gulped it down. _"I hope that the next night will be better than this. Damn these nightmares,"_ Hermione thought and got herself back to sleep. But little did she know what was going to happen the next morning.

* * *

Severus woke up. He didn't wait this day to begin at all. The know-it-all had woken him up at 3 am and he was dog tired. Getting up from the bed was extremely hard and he would have admitted that he wanted to go back to sleep. He stayed in his bed for the next 45 minutes staring at the wall trying to get back to sleep.

Finally, Severus stumbled out of his bed and went to his bathroom. He looked straight into the mirror. "Damn I look really awful but when do I not look," he said aloud and turned his gaze away from the mirror. Severus knew that he needed breakfast and a cup of cappuccino to get himself 100 percent awake. And so he went to the kitchen to get some breakfast and cappuccino. But little did he know that there was also someone else.

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning her alarm had gone on and she threw it to the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to get herself back to sleep but it was proven to be impossible.

"Oh god, what time is it?" she mumbled and opened her eyes. She walked over to get her broken alarm clock from the floor and looked at it. 5 am. "Oh no, only an hour to go. And I haven't even dressed or eaten yet. Snape will probably kill me if I am late," she mumbled and hurried herself to get ready.

When Hermione had dressed and repaired her clock she went to the kitchen. _"I hope that Snape isn't there. I don't want to listen to his complaining." _Hermione thought and saw that Snape hadn't woken up yet. With a relieved sigh, she went over to the fridge and opened it. She took out some butter and yam and looked around if she could find some bread. Hermione wanted a toast really bad as it was she always ate toasts at breakfast. The next thing she needed was a cup of cappuccino.

She hummed as she waited for her coffee and ate her warm toast.

"Good morning Miss Granger," someone said and Hermione almost jumped up from her seat.

Hermione turned to look over her shoulder and saw Severus leaning to the door frame. "Good morning, sir. I have made some cappuccino if you'd like to have a cup I can pour it for you."

"No thanks, I prefer to do it myself," Severus replied with a smirk. "I hadn't thought that Gryffindors were so easy to get frightened but as it seems I have proven myself wrong."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Even you would be frightened if someone was standing right behind you and you didn't notice," she replied snappishly.

"Touche, Miss Granger," Severus said simply smirking even more, "At least I don't scream when I have a nightmare."

Hermione's eyes widened as she remembered what had happened last night. "I guess that I have to apologize about last night, I didn't mean to awaken you. I had a nightmare and I guess that it doesn't help to be back here where everything happened during the final battle," she said and winced as she remembered her nightmare. It was always the same dream about her being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Severus scowled at her. "I don't care what happened to you in the final battle. I don't even need to know. At least I am not such a coward to get scared of my dreams," he said snidely and took a sip from his cup of cappuccino. He didn't seem to notice that his comment had hurt Hermione badly and smirked.

"I guess I shouldn't have saved your life in the first place. You are as awful as before and if I might say I hate you! I was tortured and almost killed by Bellatrix Lestrange and there you are smirking like an idiot! Harry was right you are one of the most awful teachers we had ever had!" and with that sentence, Hermione ran out of the kitchen leaving a stunned Severus Snape behind.

"What did I do?" Severus asked slightly confused and got up to follow Hermione wherever she had gone.

* * *

**A/N: I have decided that I don't care about the grammar anymore if you understand what I have written it is good enough. Severus is going to apologize in the next chapter but it seems that Hermione and Severus' relationship has already inflamed by Severus' actions. **

**Please review. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Please, Hermione

**A/N: I am really excited. What you are still reading this? Go and read the chapter already ;)**

* * *

Hermione ran to her room from the kitchen there were tears falling to her cheeks. She was furious and hurt. _"How could he? Who the hell he thinks he is?" _Hermione thought angrily and warded her door just before Severus was coming.

_Knock knock..._

"What do you want? Leave me alone!" Hermione yelled and tried to wipe away her tears.

"Please Miss Granger let me in," Severus said softly and leaned to the door.

"If you are going to insult me like that again I will not open the door," Hermione replied and scowled at the door.

"Miss Granger, I have come to apologize. I shouldn't have said what I said in the kitchen. Can you forgive me?" Severus tried weakly.

"No," Hermione said through the closed door.

"If you aren't going to open the door I will break the wards," Severus threatened and took out his wand.

"I'd like to see you try," Hermione said smirking. She was already feeling better and now her plan was to irritate Severus as well as she could. "And you are not forgiven."

"Argh, why are Gryffindors so damn over-dramatic?" Severus growled and tried to break the wards around the door. "What the hell?"

"I told you!" Hermione screamed out laughing. "You wouldn't get the door open even if you had Dumbledore helping you."

"Why?" Severus asked simply amazed that he couldn't get his way to her room. "Care to explain?"

"No," Hermione said, "because then you would know how to get through the wards."

"Argh, I have no time for this and we should or actually you should be brewing or learning to brew potions. But obviously you aren't interested," Severus tried to talk Hermione into coming out of her room.

"I am interested and you have no power to overtalk me," Hermione said smirking. She knew perfectly well that the potions master was going to be really irritated very soon.

"If you are interested... Ah, I will not play your game anymore, I am leaving," Severus said and decided to trick her to come out of her room.

Hermione heard steps and was about to broke the wards when she realized that he must be trying to trick her. "Sir, you insulted me again," she said. "Did you really think that I am that stupid to not know when you have really left. If you did you are wrong. The boys, I mean Harry and Ron, have done that trick too many times that I would be tricked with it again."

_"Damn I forgot that she was an insufferable know it all," _Severus thought and knocked again to the door, "Hermione, please could you open the door?"

Hermione was shocked that was the first time Severus had used her first name and she loved how soft her name sounded with his voice. Wait a moment... Loved?

"Alright, I am coming out but if you insult me again I can't promise that I don't hex you, Severus," Hermione replied and broke the wards and doing that the door opened. Severus fell down on her feet.

_"Did she really use my... no, I probably heard her wrong." _Severus thought and stood up like nothing happened. He wanted to keep the last drop of pride left in him and scowled the girl. "If you are ready then follow me, know-it-all," Severus said as silkily as he could glaring at his apprentice. _"I will revenge this and make her do the most annoying things a potions master would give for his apprentice." _he thought with a huge smirk and made his way to his lab.

"Sir, what are we doing today?" Hermione asked carefully and kept herself safe distance away from him.

"Ah, after that show you think that you are going to brew something?" Severus asked sarcastically.

"That's why I am here," Hermione replied and looked at Severus like he was an idiot.

"Alright then, if you think that you are so smart you are going to brew _Black Fire Potion,_" Severus said silkily knowing really well that she wouldn't know how to make it.

"What the hell is that?" Hermione asked slightly confused.

"Ah, the know-it-all doesn't know, the world must be coming to an end," Severus mocked and saw that Hermione's temper was going to end any time soon.

"Maybe I don't know the potion because you haven't taught me how to make it," Hermione replied snappishly and scowled at him receiving a scowl back.

"Then I don't have other options than make you chop the ingredients," Severus said his voice so soft that Hermione knew immediately that she was moving in the dangerous waters. "I hope that the know-it-all knows how to do that properly."

Hermione's scowl deepened. "That Git," she mumbled as loud as she could while chopping the ingredients.

"Did you say something?" Severus questioned and looked at her with a scowl.

"No, I was just thinking aloud how annoying you are," Hermione said smiling as sweetly as she could receiving a deathly glare from the potions master.

The upcoming week was going to be described with one word: hell.

* * *

**A/N: Alright they hate each other right now, but there's still something in the air. **


	4. Chapter 4

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Wrote a good one. ~Brad Paisley

Happy NEW YEAR GUYS!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Frustration

**A/N: Poor Severus...**

* * *

Hermione was frustrated after her first week as an apprentice. Severus hadn't let her do anything else but chop the ingredients and wash the cauldrons. What did he think? That she wasn't able to brew something after he had given her to brew a potion she didn't even know existed. _"Damn I hate that man!" _Hermione thought obviously angered because of Severus' lack of teaching.

"Alright if he doesn't let me brew and he thinks that I am incapable of doing anything else than chopping the ingredients and washing cauldrons I will prove him wrong," she said to her reflection in a mirror._ "But how do I get the ingredients? I don't have enough money," _she wondered when an idea hit her, _"DUMBLEDORE!"_

* * *

"Well I have to say that your idea sounds interesting, Miss Granger" Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling furiously behind his half-moon glasses, "But I am curious about what potion are you going to use?"

"I thought about Amortentia," Hermione said smirking. "I want to have some fun."

"Yes, I can guess," Dumbledore said and touched his white beard with his wrinkled hand. "Miss Granger, I will get you the ingredients tonight."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Hermione said politely and smiled wickedly.

"I hope that Severus will appreciate you after this more than before. You are brilliant don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Dumbledore said and smiled warmingly at her. "But I can promise you that Severus will be furious after he finds out what has happened. If I was you, Miss Granger, I'd dispose of your tracks. You don't want to give him any clues about yourself."

"Yes, Headmaster. And thank you once again, I can't wait," Hermione replied excitedly before leaving his office.

"Neither do I," Dumbledore said after Hermione had left and the door was once again closed.

* * *

In the evening...

Hermione got her ingredients from Headmaster and went to the students' lab because she didn't want to leave any imprints of her doings to Severus and her lab. She smirked as she began to prepare the ingredients for Amortentia. She had made it before, in her sixth year of school. It was easy to do because she had borrowed the Advanced Potions book from Harry even if she didn't trust the information the book gave. It was useful after all but Harry had learned some kind of hex from it that almost killed someone and they decided to destroy the book.

Hermione knew perfectly well how much time she would have to do the potion right and thanks to Dumbledore the snarky and antisocial Potions Master wouldn't be back very soon. She giggled when she reminded herself what her Potions Master was going through.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Severus was about to rip his hair out of his head. He hated social occasions and even more if it included a bunch of his co-workers which were almost all Gryffindors. What had he done to deserve this kind of punishment?

"Ah, Severus what do you think?" McGonagall asked him and he woke up from his dark thoughts.

"About what?" Severus questioned with a disinterest.

"Didn't you listen to what Dumbledore just said," Vector asked strictly.

"If I have to be honest, NO," Severus replied and scowled.

"I was just wondering if we should have a..." and before Dumbledore could have finished the sentence Severus interrupted him.

"If you mean to tell me that you are going to have another Ball this year I am out," Severus said with a scowl, "You know how much I hate dancing."

"But Severus, my boy, you have to be there," Dumbledore replied his eyes twinkling so furiously that in Severus' opinion they were about to explode.

"Why?" Severus questioned a bit surprised.

"Because you have been a staff member in Hogwarts for 20 years," Dumbledore said cheerily. "It is something we have to celebrate."

Severus rolled his eyes and sighed, "If you must..."

"Excellent and now we are going to plan the Ball, Severus feel free to leave, we are going to keep the plans safe from you," Dumbledore said and hushed Severus out of the staffroom.

_"How do I feel like I will regret this?" _Severus thought, rubbing his temples as there was a headache coming. He made his way strauíght to the dungeons. This was the most awful day of this week. First the know-it-all Granger, and now Dumbledore.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Severus...**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: I love you, Hermione!

**A/N: Poor Hermione...**

* * *

Hermione was eating her breakfast with the other teachers in the Great Hall. She had added the Amortentia to Severus' afternoon tea when he had turned his attention elsewhere luckily she had gotten to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak. _"I must thank Harry for that later,__" _Hermione thought.

"You are the smartest Apprentice Hogwarts has ever seen," McGonagall said smirking and her eyes twinkled almost Dumbledorish way. "Severus is going to have a really good lesson."

"Yeah, thanks, Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied smiling. "But I am not sure if I did the right thing..."

"Don't question yourself, Hermione, and please do call me Minerva," Minerva said interrupting her, "It was a time that someone put Severus back on to his roots."

"But..." Hermione began weakly feeling guilty even worse. She had doubted her plan once before she brewed the potion but now it was getting even worse.

"No, buts, Hermione. He has deserved it... oh look he is coming here," Minerva said smirking and all of the teachers watched Severus with huge interest like he was an animal escaped from a zoo. When Severus got to the High Table he took his seat next to Hermione and watched her longingly.

"Why are you staring at me?" Hermione asked really confused and slightly disturbed.

"But Hermione," Severus began and Hermione felt her stomach do backflips when she heard him call her by her given name. "My dearest Hermione..." and with that McGonagall burst out laughing, "haven't you realized that I love you?" Severus asked and looked at her lovingly. Hermione flushed crimson red. This was humiliating she didn't want it to go like this.

"Errr... I can't say that I have," Hermione replied and pushed her plate away. Her appetite had gone away suddenly and she looked rather disgusted.

"Good," Severus replied obviously not listening to her at all. Before Hermione could have noticed Severus was on his knee and had a silky box in his hand. "Hermione, I love you so much and I can't live without you, will you do me the honor and become my wife?"

After Hermione heard the word 'wife' she burst out crying and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Why did she leave? Maybe I should go after her," Severus said and looked at McGonagall who had stopped laughing when Hermione ran out of the Great Hall.

"I think you shouldn't Severus, let me go and speak with her," McGonagall said and stood up from the High Table.

Severus was wordless and gazed at Dumbledore for support.

"Ah, how it is to be young and so in love," Dumbledore stated his eyes twinkling like stars.

* * *

At the same time...

Hermione had hurried off from the Great Hall tears were rolling down her cheeks. She was shocked by his proposal. Hermione hadn't thought that her plan would aswell humiliate herself in front of the whole school. _"Severus was being just so cute, I could even fall for this Severus. I have only three days with this charming man and then I will have to deal with the bat of the dungeons," _Hermione thought and sobbed even more.

"Hermione?" she heard a female voice obviously it would be McGonagall, "Are you alright?"

"What do you want?" Hermione asked while wiping her tears away.

"Please come out and let's have a drink," Minerva pleaded, "I know that I might be old but I know when a girl is keen on a boy. Or actually he is a man but it is the same thing."

Hermione opened the door and outside there was Minerva McGonagall with two bottles of Whiskey. "I thought that you would like to have a drink after what happened in the morning," Minerva said smirking.

"Isn't it too early to get drunk?" Hermione questioned and smirked a bit.

"Maybe... Maybe not," Minerva replied and handed the whiskey to Hermione. "I guess Severus wouldn't mind."

"Do you mean that he is drinking there in his rooms?" Hermione said and took a sip from her bottle.

"Of course he is. Poor Severus is so in love," Minerva said mockingly trying to hide her giggles.

"Yeah... Poor Severus," Hermione said quietly and lowered her bottle of whiskey.

"You like him don't you?" Minerva asked and Hermione flushed crimson.

"Is it that obvious?" Hermione questioned and her face was now as red as a tomato.

"Kind of, but you have nothing to be ashamed of," Minerva said smiling, "Severus might be an ass sometimes but he can also be gentle and when relaxed even funny."

"How was he when he was a student here in Hogwarts?" Hermione asked and looked at Minerva who was slightly surprised about her question.

"Quiet, his only friend at the time was Lily Evans," Minerva said and took a sip from her bottle of whiskey. "I must say that he was one of the best students I have ever had. He was almost as good as you, but he gave too much of his attention to Lily..."

And so Minerva began to tell about Severus and her time at Hogwarts while Severus was drinking at his office.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Hermione... Poor Severus... I know it was short but I hope you liked it as much as I did. I will tell you that Severus is going to find out soon what has happened probably even in the next chapter... **

**Please review. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: I know everything

**A/N: Severus is going to find out that he was drugged after Hermione rejected him.**

* * *

Hermione woke up her head bounding badly. She had no memory what had happened yesterday but it had something to do with Severus. Hermione saw that she had drifted out on the couch with McGonagall. They had probably had too much whiskey. Hermione had tried to get the memories of the last morning out of her mind. She really regretted that she drugged Severus. But Hermione also liked the way he looked at her and how he talked to her. _"He is so cute when he is smiling, I will miss his smile after this is over," _Hermione thought depressively.

"Good morning ladies," said a silky voice from the door frame. "I guess that you would like some headache potion."

"Sod off, Severus!" Hermione and just woken up Minerva snapped in unison. "And leave that potion behind or we will hex you."

Severus left the potion on Hermione's bedside table and left the room.

* * *

Hermione and Minerva got to the High Table both regretting how much they had drunk the day before.

"Good morning, dear Hermione," Severus said cheerily taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Good morning, Severus," Hermione replied and blushed a bit. Almost everyone seemed to be staring at them like they were some kind of movie stars.

"Have you already thought about it?" Severus asked and looked puppyishly at her.

"About what?" Hermione asked simply confused about what he was talking about.

"The marriage of course!" Severus said obviously hurt because she hadn't agreed yet. "So are you going to marry me?"

Hermione was wordless. She didn't know how to reject the offer without him getting hurt. She just stared at Severus who was getting more and more hurt when she didn't answer anything.

"Severus, I like you, but isn't it a bit too early for a marriage? We don't even know each other," Hermione began and looked at him, "I mean that 'No I won't become your wife' I am sorry Severus I truly am..."

Before Hermione could say anything else Severus had strode off tears streaming down his face. Her heart ached for him, she knew that she had hurt him and the relationship would be stone cold when they got to brew that evening. "Oh God, what I have done?" Hermione sighed and kept her gaze the place where she had last seen Severus.

"Hermione you did the right thing," said Remus Lupin who was now sitting next to her.

"How come I do the right thing if I hurt him at the same time? Please explain to me Remus," Hermione asked tiredly and looked at Remus with her honey-brown eyes.

"You didn't take advantage of his condition, even if you caused it," Remus began and continued comforting her, "You like him more than I can guess?"

"You have no idea," Hermione said with a sad smile, "I liked him when he was snarky and the evil bat of the dungeons. I am mixed right now, I don't know what do I like about him or why do I like him."

"I think you should think about it carefully, Hermione," Remus said calmly, "And if there is ever going to be anything between you two, remember that I will always stay here for you."

Hermione smiled at him because Remus had successfully comforted her. "Thanks, Remus," Hermione said standing up from her seat and giving Remus a kiss on the cheek. And with that, she left not noticing that there was a meaningful look changed between Remus and McGonagall.

* * *

Severus ran off the High Table tears streaming down his face. Hermione... She had made him feel stupid in front of the whole school. It was highly humiliating. Why didn't she agree to marry him? What was wrong? He got to his rooms and took a bottle of whiskey with him. Dumbledore had given the whiskey bottle to him as a birthday present. He opened it and began to drink.

After Severus had drunk half of the whiskey from the bottle he got up from his bed and went to get the sober-up potion which he didn't take accidentally. Severus gulped down the potion from the vial and didn't feel sober at all. "What the hell?" Severus said loudly and turned the vial around to see what potion he had just taken. '_Love Potion Antidote' _was written to the vial and he threw it to the wall. He took the sober-up potion and drank it with one huge gulp.

"I know everything!" Severus yelled hate and anger rising inside of him, "I hate you, Hermione Granger!" S-she the Know-It-All, his apprentice had drugged him and made fun of him in front of the whole school... He remembered everything that had happened and he felt like his heart was bursting out with anger and well anger. _"I will have my revenge! Oh, yes I will play along with the stupid game of hers. And she will understand after that that she ought not to play with me," _he thought smirking cunningly and began to plan the way to get his revenge.

* * *

**A/N: Alright Severus has found out that he was drugged. I am scared that Hermione will get really hurt by him this time. **

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: It was just a mistake

**A/N: All I can tell is that Severus is going to be an ass and Hermione is going to get really hurt... **

* * *

Hermione got to the lab the same evening she had told that she wouldn't marry him. She was almost sure that Severus would be probably really hurt and...

"Hello, darling," someone said silkily behind her and Hermione turned around to see Severus watching her curiously.

"Err... Hello, sir," Hermione replied and was confused about Severus' behavior. She had thought that he would be frustrated and hurt but obviously she proved herself wrong.

"I think that we should brew something, ah, more complicated than before," Severus said silkily walking towards her.

"Alright... Uhm... So what we're going to brew?" Hermione asked and looked at him seeing that he had taken a step closer to her again.

"I thought of...Wolfsbane, Hermione. Do you know how to make it?" Severus said his voice so silky that it sent shivers through Hermione's skin.

"Er... I have never made that before... S-sir," Hermione replied breathing harder and harder as he took more steps closer to her. "I-I g-guess that you s-should tell m-me first what ingredients I n-needed t-to do the potion, sir."

And so they began to brew the potion...

* * *

While brewing...

Hermione was sure that Severus was teasing her because he made sure to get close to her and whisper his instructions straight into her ear and he "accidentally" touched her hand many times while brewing. She was confused and scared of her reactions to such things because every time Severus touched her the spot he touched tingled and her heart began to race like she was running a marathon.

Severus sat down and examined Hermione's work. She was actually kind of cute... _"What?! She ain't cute! Man get a grip!" _Severus thought and scowled. He made sure that when Hermione looked at him for instructions he would smile and look at her "lovingly". He actually liked teasing Hermione because when he saw her confusion it made him want to kiss her. _"No, I don't want to kiss her... She is my ex-student and an insufferable know-it-all." _he thought and tried to get rid of these emotions going through his mind.

* * *

A few moments later...

"Err... Sir, I think the potion is ready," Hermione called and looked carefully at the cauldron.

"Alright, let's have a look," Severus said and got up from his seat. He made sure that he was standing right behind Hermione and that she knew that he was there. "Fantastic job, Hermione. You are naturally talented," Severus whispered at her ear making the hair on her neck standing up.

Hermione blushed furiously. This was the first time Severus had complimented her brewing abilities. Severus seemed to have moved away from her so she turned around and...

She was now facing with Severus Snape. Her heart skipped a beat and her breathing was rough. Severus looked at her eagerly and took a step closer pressing her against the table she had been brewing. His gaze turned on her lips and she seemed to notice that. And then he lowered his head and captured Hermione's lips with his... Severus put his hand behind her head and deepened the kiss.

_"Oh God Oh God, I am kissing my potions master... But this man knows what he is doing," _Hermione thought and kissed him back.

_"What the hell? She tastes so good, and she even knows how to kiss... When will I find something that this know-it-all can't do?"_ Severus thought while kissing her. _"No what am I thinking? I shouldn't think like this when I want to get y revenge on what she has done." _

A few minutes later Severus and Hermione pulled away from each other both of them panting and looking at each other.

"I-I t-think th-that this i-is a g-good ti-time t-to e-end o-our le-lesson, I g-guess I w-will see y-you a-at t-the dinner," Severus stuttered out trying to get rid of the idea of kissing her again.

"Err... A-alright p-pro... N-no I m-mean sir," Hermione struggled over her words and left the room.

_"The first part of the plan was successful." _Severus thought with a smirk. _"Yuck, I really kissed her..." _

Severus ignored the traitorous voice inside of his head that tried to tell him to stop his plan. But he couldn't give up now. What had begun would be taken to the end.

* * *

**A/N: Will continue in the next chapter... Severus is going to be an ass... Totally an ass. And I can expose that he is going to have a broken nose after hurting Hermione... **

**Please review**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Did you think that I would like to kiss a mudblood like you?

**A/N: You can guess what is going to happen by reading the title of this chapter. Poor Hermione.**

**I am sorry that you have had to wait so long for the new chapter I have exams week coming and I am trying to read. I hope you understand. **

* * *

Hermione couldn't sleep she tried to pat her pillow and shift her body to a better position but not succeeding. The reason behind that was that Hermione couldn't take her thoughts off from a certain dark potions master and that kiss they had shared. _"Wow! Who could have thought that our potions master could have such a secret talent on kissing?" _Hermione thought and got up from her bed. She took her jeans and T-Shirt and put them on. _"Maybe fresh air will help me sort out my thoughts?"_

She sighed and made her way to the astronomy tower.

* * *

At the same time...

_"What the hell? Why I can't get her out of my mind?" _Severus thought confused. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't organize his thoughts.

"What have I become?" Severus asked sighing and staring at the wall beside his bed as it could have told him what was going on inside of his mind. "Alright I am going out, maybe the fresh air will help."

And so did he, Severus Snape, make his way towards the astronomy tower.

* * *

Hermione sat down taking her potions book from her back and began to read. She was so concentrated on her book not noticing that she wasn't alone anymore.

"Hello, Miss Granger," a deep voice said and Hermione turned around started her wand pointing straight to Severus' chest. "Please lower your wand or you might poke my eye out."

"Ah, it is you," Hermione gasped and felt something break inside her the snarky potions master was back, she was so used to be called 'Hermione' or 'dear' by the other Severus. Or actually the drugged Severus.

"What might a know-it-all be doing here at this time of night?" Severus questioned his gaze on the stars. He couldn't look at her because when he did he would remember the kiss they had shared and his self-control might fade away.

"The same as you probably, having fresh air and trying to think," Hermione replied and turned her face back to_ Apprentice's Potions Book_ she was reading.

"Ah, reading again?" Severus said almost immediately kicking himself on his mind _"Stating the obvious, am I? Damnnnn... Now she thinks that I am stupid."_

"Stating the obvious doesn't fit you, sir," Hermione replied not turning her gaze from the book.

Severus blushed, yes actually blushed. _"What the hell? Why am I blushing? Where's the control I once had?" _he thought and tried to find the best way to reply. Then an idea hit him... Severus sat straight next to Hermione and whispered in her ear, "What does fit me then, Hermione dear."

Hermione blushed and felt a cold shiver going through her spine. "Errr... Those snarky comments and..." she began and was interrupted by Severus.

"I think there's something else..." Severus interrupted with the silkiest voice Hermione had ever heard him use.

"I Uhm... Sev... Sir, I think..." Hermione began turning her face from the book and now she was face to face with her potions master. Once again she wasn't able to take her eyes away from his and the words she was about to say were forgotten. And Severus had the same problem he couldn't rip his eyes out of hers and somehow he realized it, he had fallen in love with her.

"I think that you would like this," he said softly and his gaze was on her lips. Then it happened his lips were on hers. Hermione felt like she had left the astronomy tower as they kissed. She felt like she had found heaven. Had the first kiss with him felt like this? Maybe not. This was more soft and gentle.

_"What am I doing? She will never love someone like me! I need to stop this. I need to get her to hate me even more." _Severus thought while kissing her and pulled away.

* * *

Severus pulled away from her. "What do you think you are doing?" he asked scowling at her like she was something filthy.

"What?! I didn't do anything it was you who kissed me," Hermione replied confused. _"What is he doing? He is ruining this!"_

"Did you think that I would like to kiss a mudblood like you?" Severus said angrily and at the same time, he felt something break inside of him.

"W-what are y-you doing Severus?" Hermione questioned and there were tears on her eyes. The pain was showing straight from her face.

"Don't call me Severus, you have no right to do that!" Severus yelled and turned away from her. "Why I would like to kiss a mudblood like you?"

A tear had fallen from her eye and she opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

"You should have thought twice before drugging me! Did you have fun?! Did you like it?!" Severus said through gritted teeth.

Hermione was scared. So he remembered everything. "I am so sorry... I should have thought before I did it... Please for..." she began but was interrupted.

"No, I won't forgive you," Severus replied turning back to her.

"Please, sir, I will do anything you want, anything... Please..." Hermione pleaded tears falling down her cheeks. She had never felt this disappointed in herself.

"Maybe you should think leaving me alone, mudblood," he said and left the astronomy tower, leaving crying Hermione behind him.

* * *

A few hours later...

Hermione felt really bad. She had probably never felt this depressed. She was still on the astronomy tower not daring to go to the dungeons. Hermione knew that she had fallen in love with him. It had to be that why else would she feel like there were 20 knives stabbing her heart. As reality hit her and she realized that she loved him she began to sob even harder. _"Maybe if I curled up here I could die of cold?" _she thought and gripped her arms around her knees.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" a soft voice asked as someone had come to the astronomy tower...

* * *

**A/B: Poor, Poor Hermione... Find out who had come to the astronomy tower in the next chapter! **

**I know Severus would have never used the word 'mudblood' after he had hurt Lily Evans with it (while his fifth year at Hogwarts) but I wanted it to hurt Hermione because that was Severus' plan in the first place. **

**Please review**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9:Maybe I am a waste of space after all...

**A/N: You can only guess who it is... who will comfort Hermione and break Severus' nose.**

* * *

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" a soft voice asked as someone had come to the astronomy tower. "Hermione?"

Hermione lifted her chin and saw Remus Lupin who had kneeled next to her. She couldn't say a word, she just couldn't do it like as she was silenced. Hermione just stared at Remus with her honey-brown eyes which were now red of all the crying. "I-I am so, so stupid..." Hermione sobbed out and more tears fell down her cheeks.

"Please Hermione, tell me what is wrong," Lupin pleaded and wiped away the tears from Hermione's cheeks.

"I w-was s-so s-stupid... I-I shouldn't h-have d-done it... I-I am so, so stupid..." Hermione cried and lowered her chin. "I-I was stupid t-to t-think that h-he'd ever appreciate me."

"Please Hermione, look at me. Who it is?" Remus asked even he had a slight suspicion about whom she was talking about.

"H-he said a lot of h-horrible t-things t-to me, a-and I guess I-I h-have d-deserved it," she sobbed and Remus took her into his arms.

"Who did say and what? Was it Severus?" Remus asked again holding her close to him.

When Hermione heard Severus' name she couldn't help herself and yelped against Remus' chest. "N-no d-don't h-hurt him... I-I l-love him..."

That was something that got Remus shocked. _"She loves him? That explains a lot." _

"It is alright Hermione, everything is alright. Please take my arm and I will help you up from there. You must be tired," Remus said as softly as he could and stood up offering her his hand.

Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "What if I don't want to come? What if I just wanted to curl up here and die?"

Remus was shocked to hear such words from her. "No, that won't do. Please take my hand, Hermione. I don't want you to be sad, you are much more beautiful when you smile," he said still offering her his arm and smiling a little. Hermione looked at him and then at his hand and took it.

"You can come with me. I don't think that you would like to go to the dungeons for a while?" Remus said still holding her hand squeezing it slightly. "Severus is stupid if he doesn't understand how wonderful a woman he gave up."

"Thank you, Remus," Hermione whispered and gave him a sad smile.

* * *

While in the dungeons...

Severus poured himself some more whiskey, he hated himself for what he had just done but there was no way that Hermione would ever love him. How did it always come to that that he fell for someone who didn't love him back? Severus was almost sure that Hermione had been disgusted with him, but now she would hate him.

_"It is better this way..." _he thought and drank the last contents of the glass. Then a wave of sudden anger washed over him and he threw the glass with a very great force to the door which was now opened by no-one else but Lupin, who was able to get his wand out and the shield charm on just before the whiskey glass hit him.

"What the hell?" Severus asked and stared confused at Remus who was obviously fuming about something.

"You! You damn ass!" Remus yelled and his wand which was still at his hand was sending out red and yellow sparks. "I don't care how much you hate Hermione, but she didn't deserve what you just did!"

"If I was you werewolf I would step back and not have my wand out as it is I'm not in my best moods right now," Severus replied silkily his eyes flickered from Remus' eyes to his wand.

"I don't care if you aren't in your best moods right now! I want answers! WHY DID YOU HURT HER!" Remus yelled and took a step closer to Severus. "You have 10 seconds to reply before I break your ugly nose!"

"Ah, very Gryffindor like from you," Severus replied and wrapping his fingers around his wand. "But I think that I told that little mudblood..."

And before Severus could have finished his sentence Remus had disarmed him and was smacking him with his fists. Severus didn't fight back because he knew he had deserved it.

"If you ever use that word about Hermione I will make sure that Dumbledore hears about it and how you have treated her. And I think that Hermione is very lucky to get rid of you! I don't understand how she fell for you but I will make it sure that you will never hurt her again!" Remus said after he had had enough of hurting him.

"W-what? She loves me?" Severus asked weakly still laying on the floor.

"You broke her heart. I hope you are happy! AND STAY AWAY FROM HER!" and with that Remus got out of the dungeons.

Severus touched his broken nose and winced with pain... _"I am so STUPID! Maybe that awful James Potter was right... Maybe I am just a waste of space after all..." _and with that thought, everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry that you have had to wait for this long. But I have the exams week and I am all stressed out + I have caught a cold. **

**Please review**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10: He is in a coma

**A/N: There's someone else who likes Hermione... **

* * *

Remus got back to his dormitories and saw that Hermione was still sleeping on his bed. He knew that he didn't have any chance with her because she was in love with Snape. _"Why did it have to be Snape? Why not me?" _Remus thought and noticed that he was still staring at her.

Remus took a few steps closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Sleep well." Hermione stiffened a bit murmuring something about Severus which made Remus cringe a little.

Remus knew very well that it wouldn't be smart to sleep in the same room because he didn't want to confuse Hermione so he took the sofa instead. Because he didn't have any classes that day he decided that it was the best that he took a nap.

And after a moment they were both asleep...

* * *

"We found him from his dungeons," said a Slytherin student named Eunice Millicent.

"And would you care to explain how you were to get in?" Dumbledore asked softly looking at the two Slytherin students over his half-moon glasses.

"Errr... The door was open. So we thought to go and look if Professor Snape was there as it was we needed to ask him something," the other student named Peter Trimble explained. "Is he going to be ok, Professor Dumbledore?"

"He will be just fine, don't worry," Dumbledore said and turned to look at his protegee. "I think you two should go back to the classes. And 20 points to Slytherin for helping your professor in need."

"Thank you, Headmaster!" both of the students said smiling because they had just earned enough points to pass Gryffindors. After the students had left Poppy came back with the report she had to give.

"Poppy do you have any news?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.

"I am sorry to inform you that Severus is in a coma," Poppy said trying not to cry. She had had Severus many times in the hospital wing but it was almost never as bad as this.

"When is he to wake up?" Dumbledore asked and seemed to be even more worried.

"I don't know," Poppy replied and the tears were now falling down her cheeks. "It could take a few days or weeks or maybe years. It is possible that he never wakes up again."

* * *

At the same time...

"Severus!" Hermione screamed and woke up with a start. She had seen a really realistic nightmare of her Potions Master.

"Hermione? Everything ok?" Remus came running to his bedroom as he was woken by Hermione's scream.

"I... I saw just a nightmare. I'm fine, nothing is wrong," Hermione replied and smiled a little.

"I see, do you want tea or something to eat, you haven't eaten anything?" Remus asked smiling back at her, "I can ask Dobby to bring something,"

"I would like to eat something, as it is I am starving," Hermione replied and got up from the bed.

"Alright, you can go to the sitting room and wait there," Remus said and left the bedroom.

* * *

"Albus, where is Severus? I haven't seen him the whole day and the students were smiling after his class. How is that possible?" Minerva McGonagall questioned the headmaster.

"Because it is that Severus isn't going to be able to teach them for a while, Minerva," Dumbledore said staring at his phoenix which was born from the ashes once again.

"What?! What has happened?" Minerva asked worriedly.

"Severus was found from his dungeons, but he is in a coma," Dumbledore explained and helped the newborn Fawkes back to the perch.

"WHAT?!" Minerva almost screamed out.

"He had been beaten by someone," Dumbledore continued and turned to look at his old friend who was staring at him with a shock.

"Will he... Is he going to wake up?" Minerva asked carefully.

"Maybe, we don't know yet," Dumbledore replied, "Don't worry Minerva, Severus is strong. But I guess you are worried about something else too."

"I am worried about Hermione," Minerva said and continued, "because it is really obvious that she loves him. And even more obvious that Severus has a crush on her. Does she know?"

"I guess she doesn't, I think it would be the best if you or Remus told him," Dumbledore said smiling sadly. "Ah, he is just coming here."

"Headmaster, McGonagall," Remus said politely.

"How many times I have told you to call me Minerva?" Minerva pleaded.

"Sorry, Minerva," Remus replied and looked at Dumbledore. "Are you two worried about something? I can see it in your eyes."

"Remus..." Minerva began but couldn't say anything. She was crying and that made Remus even more worried.

"What has happened?" Remus questioned and tried to comfort Minerva.

"It is about Severus..."

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry you have had to wait but I have had a lot of stress lately. You will find out what is to be said in the next chapter and Hermione's reaction too.**

**Please review**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11: You did WHAT?!

**A/N: Remus is going to tell Hermione and she gets even more upset. **

* * *

"It is about Severus," Dumbledore replied smiling sadly and Remus felt that this was something very serious. "We, or rather not we, but few students found him unconscious from his dungeons. He was beaten very badly and even more shocking it is that he is in a coma."

"WHAT?!" Remus asked anxiously knowing very well that it must be his fault because he was the one smacking Snape with both fists.

"Yes, Severus is in a coma, and we thought that you should be the one to tell Hermione," Dumbledore explained looking at him trustfully.

"Me? I... err... Couldn't it be someone else? I don't think that Hermione would..." Remus tried weakly and looked away from Dumbledore's penetrating gaze. He felt really guilty of Severus' condition but still, something was telling him that it wasn't entirely his fault. But how the hell he was to explain this to Hermione because she if not anyone else would like to know what had happened.

"Remus, don't be such a coward. I know you are fond of the girl but you are one of the best to comfort other people," Minerva said snappishly, "You are for Merlin's sake a Gryffindor."

"Alright, I will do it," Remus replied and hurried off from the staffroom.

"Minerva I think I know who did this to Severus," Albus said and there was a twinkle in his eyes.

* * *

Hermione had begun to eat her breakfast because Remus' had gone somewhere and she didn't want it to be cold. Of course," there would have been plenty of spells to get the food warm but she was starving. Hermione heard Remus' corridors door open and saw Remus coming in looking very guilty and anxious.

"Remus, what is it? What has happened, you look so anxious," she asked carefully and began to get worried as Remus seemed to not to find words to say anything.

"I... Uhm... It is about Snape," Remus began and Hermione stared at him with wide eyes.

"What about that idiot?" Hermione questioned scowling at her food.

"He... He is, uhm err... Snape is in a coma," Remus stuttered out and Hermione had stopped scowling at her food, her eyes were huge and full of shock.

"W-what? I-it can't be... I-I j-just saw him y-yesterday..." Hermione began and her voice broke tears falling down her cheeks. "Wh-what happened t-to him?"

"I am really really sorry Hermione," Remus murmured putting his face down to his hands. "I am so sorry..."

"Remus, why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything," Hermione said and lifted Remus' chin with her index finger.

"But Hermione... You don't know what I did... It is my fault... All my fault," Remus replied a huge amount of tears falling down his cheeks.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked and was confused about Remus' behavior. "Please, Remus..."

"Severus is in a coma because of me..."

* * *

"So you are telling me that Remus did this, Albus?" Minerva asked and was really shocked by Albus' explanation.

"It has to be him, he looked so guilty and anxious when we, I told him," Albus replied, "But I guess he has suffered greatly enough by Hermione's hand."

"What do you mean?" Minerva questioned even more offended of Albus' words, "Hermione couldn't hurt even a fly possibly, I don't think that she would do anything for Remus...

* * *

Meanwhile...

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Hermione was fuming she was so ashamed of Remus' behavior.

"I am so so sorry... I didn't mean to cause anything like this... I just acted with anger... I didn't think straight... P-please f-forgive me," Remus stammered and his voice seemed to fade out with more words. He was ashamed of himself, he had never been this ashamed...

"It is alright," Hermione said finally after she had calmed down. "But you are coming with me, NOW," she commanded and Remus found that he was unable to disagree with her.

"Where are we going?" Remus asked when Hermione was dragging him up the stairs.

"To headmaster's office," and with that sentence there was a slight terror in Remus' face. _"I am going to lose my job... I am going to lose my job... Oh, fuck! If I don't lose my job and Snape never wakes up I will kill myself... I am so much shame to Gryffindors even as a teacher." _Remus thought depressively.

* * *

"Ah, Miss Granger it is nice to see you, and oh you brought someone with you. Hello Remus, I thought I would be seeing the two of you soon," Albus said trying to smile even though he was still worried about Severus.

After a moment of silence Hermione opened her mouth to speak, "Headmaster I have heard of my master's condition is it possible that I would go and see him. Maybe I could help?"

"You can always go and see Severus, Miss Granger, but please don't exhaust yourself," Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling like they were diamonds, "And haven't I insisted that you call me Albus instead of Headmaster?"

"Yes, you have headm... Albus, it is still kind of awkward as it is I am your ex-student," Hermione replied smiling slightly.

"And what comes to Remus? Why did Hermione bring you here?" Dumbledore asked and the twinkle of his eyes faded a little as he had guessed already why Remus' was there.

"I have to confess something..." Remus said keeping his head down.

"Go on, Remus, you can do it," Hermione said supportively.

"I, I caused Severus condition... I beat him after he had hurt Hermione... I didn't think at all what I was doing... I'm so so sorry Headmaster, I have let you down..." Remus stuttered out and the tears had fallen to the carpet on Headmaster's office.

"ALBUS! It ain't Remus fault!" Minerva McGonagall screamed and had run to the office not noticing neither Hermione or Remus.

"Minerva, please calm down we have guests," Albus said calmly looking at the deputy-headmaster.

"Oh..." Minerva said blushing furiously, "I didn't notice."

"What do you mean that it is not my fault?" Remus asked as he had lifted his head looking now straight at the place where Minerva stood.

"Oh Remus, Poppy just told me that Severus is in a coma because he was really stressed about something. She explained to me that Severus had drunk a great deal of alcohol.." Minerva explained and before she could have finished her explanation someone interrupted her.

"Oh no, I know why he is in a coma, it is because of me!"

* * *

**A/N: SO it wasn't really Remus' fault but he is going to get a punishment of his actions. No, he isn't going to be sacked I wouldn't do that to him but it is something else. And NO, Severus isn't going to die. All I am going to tell is that Hermione realized something...**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12: Where are you, Hermione?

**A/N: You will get into Severus' dreams, it is exciting isn't it... He will probably wake up... I don't promise anything...**

**Thank you for your reviews I have loved to read them and it is nice to hear what you think of this fanfic :)**

* * *

Severus had fallen into the darkness and he was laying at his back. Everything was dark when he opened his eyes... _"Wand... Where's my wand?" _he thought, "Lumos." When his wand was nowhere to be seen Severus was slightly worried about what had happened. _"What is this?" _he thought confused and stood up trying to look around if there was anyone else. _"Where am I?"_

He took a step testing if the area where he was standing was stable and he wouldn't fall into a hole or anything. "Hello?! Anyone here?!" Severus asked but no-one replied. He began to walk straight away from the place where he had stayed, for too much time, in his opinion.

After walking for a while Severus saw something.

_"Spinners End? What the hell am I doing here?" _he thought and then he saw something. He saw himself, not really himself, but himself at a younger age playing with a ball with his father Tobias Snape. _"I can only guess that this is a memory... So I must be in a coma or something?" _

Then the scene changed and he saw Tobias yelling at her mother, Eileen Prince, no it was Snape after she had married that bastard. He remembered very well what had been said between those two and what had happened after that.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"You told me that you were a witch and promised not to use magic around me and I said it was okay. But now I get to know that my son is a freak too!" Tobias yelled and his eyes were filled with hate. _

_"Please Tobias, try to understand, Severus is not a freak, I know you don't like that he is going to Hogwarts but it is the best place to him to get to control his magic," Eileen said softly._

_"What is there to understand? Tell me, Eileen! Our son is a freak, nothing more! I don't even know why I do call him my son at all," Tobias said his voice so low that it sounded threatening to Severus who was listening from the stairs. There were tears in his eyes, he just wanted to be a good buy and now he had destroyed it. _

_"Toby, please..." Eileen began but was stobbed by Tobias who had just slapped her in his anger, "Ouch..."_

* * *

_End of the flashback_

How Severus hated his father, Tobias Snape. There was the cold fury inside him and he wanted to do nothing more than 'crucio' him in that place where he was standing. But still, there was something which made him not to do it. Severus remembered the time before he knew about magic and his powers that his father was loving and gentle but after he had found out that he, Severus, was a wizard the hell came over to his childhood home.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Mom, why does daddy hate me?" asked the 12-year old Severus with tears in his eyes and looking at Eileen. _

_"He doesn't hate you, he just doesn't understand and that's why he is angry. He loves you, and I love you," Eileen said softly looking at his son lovingly. _

_"Why does he hit you and me then? It isn't alright, I don't like it," Severus asked scowling at his lap. "Also he said to me that I was a disappointment."_

_"No, you are not a disappointment, you are an awesome young boy who has a great future ahead of him," Eileen argued and hugged her son. "Whatever your father said he doesn't mean it. He just needs time to understand."_

_"How is it that year isn't enough to understand?" Severus asked his mother with a cold and distant voice. _

_"I don't know Severus, please give him some more time. Tobias will come around," she replied and left the room after giving her son a goodnights kiss._

* * *

_End of the flashback_

Severus remembered that things had gotten even worse after his mother's and his conversation. His father had taken up the alcohol and was even more abusive than before. But the difference was that Tobias was almost only abusive towards Eileen, not his son but his wife. And that was something that had made Severus' blood boil when he had attended his fifth year at Hogwarts. That was the year when everything had gone wrong...

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Mom? Mom?!" 15-year-old Severus ran next to his mother who was laying on the floor. "Mom?! Wake up!" he yelled and shook his mother. "Mom!"_

_When Eileen didn't wake up, Severus decided to test if her heart was beating at all. "NO! NO! MOM!" he felt no pulse and his eyes sparkled with tears. His mother was dead, the only one in the family who cared for him had to die. Of course, there was Lily but she was taking a distance for some reason. _

_"What are you laying on the floor, she is dead. Yes, the freak is dead," drunken Tobias Snape slumbered out. _

_"I will kill you, when I am old enough you will die, and you will die painfully," Severus hissed angrily and left the house leaving behind his alcoholic father and going to the place where he had first met Lily Evans. The girl he had fallen in love with and he hoped to see her there, she was his only hope. His only light in his darkening world. _

_"Sev?" a soft beautiful voice asked. Severus turned around and saw Lily Evans, she was beautiful when she was smiling at him._

_"Lily, oh how I have missed you," Severus said and he felt his pain wash away from his body. Severus hugged her and asked, "How are you?"_

* * *

_Another Flashback..._

_"I don't need help from mudbloods like her!" the young Severus yelled in his humiliation and in his fury. _

_Lily stared at him for a while and said, "Alright, I won't bother next time."_

_"Apologize her!" James had yelled at him and pointing his wand straight into Severus' chest. _

_"He doesn't need to apologize, you are as bad as him," Lily said coldly not looking at James at all..._

* * *

_End of the flashback_

Severus stared at the spot where Lily had just stood scowling at him and James Potter. What if he had never used that word what if... _"Hermione..." _he thought, _"I don't need Lily, I need Hermione."_

Severus almost turned around when he heard something...

"Severus," a soft voice called him and his heart skipped a beat.

"Hermione..." Severus purred as a reply and tried to find the source of her voice. "Where are you, Hermione?"

He took walked in the darkness still trying to find Hermione. Severus needed her really bad, she was his light but where was she he didn't have any idea. "Hermione, please help..." he pleaded and then everything went dark once again.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, you got inside of Severus' head and some of his memories. I hope you liked. I am sorry you have had to wait for so long, I have Advanced math, Psychology, Biology, and Religion in this 4th period and I am so damn stressed out by all of the homework I have. **

**Please review!**


	14. Valentine's day

Almost forgot

* * *

**Happy Valentine's day!**

* * *

**You're my own drug**

**An elixir I just need to have**

**You're the only reason in this world**

**To wake up at the morning and start doing something**

**My lovely horrible medicine**

**Adrenaline to my heart**

**Baby, you're boiling in my veins**

**So you won't, I'm gonna broke any time soon**

**Yeah, this isn't healthy**

**I can't stand even a gram of us**

**But I'm just asking for more**

**Come once again, come**

**And let me inhale you**

**No-one has ever gotten me this crazy**

**Fill my head and wrap me in the blanket like in a cloud**

**So I won't see that I should leave already**

**I'm tired, yes, I know**

**This stuff is dangerous to you**

**Every day is an accident**

**Even old wounds hurt in my body**

**Of course I love you**

**But you've destroyed enough of me**

**God, I wish that when I go**

**I can stand the awful withdrawals**

**Yeah, this isn't healthy**

**I can't stand even a gram of us**

**But I'm just asking for more**

**Come once again, come**

**And let me inhale you**

**No-one has ever gotten me this crazy**

**Fill my head and wrap me in the blanket like in a cloud**

**So I won't see that I should leave already**

**Hey, for this time, take me back**

**One time, get me all messed up**

**Raise me to the clouds**

**Hey, for this time, take me back**

**One time, get me all messed up**

**Raise me to the clouds**

**Come once again, come**

**And let me inhale you**

**No-one has ever gotten me this crazy**

**Fill my head and wrap me in the blanket like in a cloud**

**So I won't see that I should leave already**

**Raise me to the clouds**

**Raise me to the clouds**

**~Antti Tuisku - Vedän sut henkeen (in Finnish) /Inhale you**

* * *

Go and listen to it is better in Finnish I tried to translate it from the beginning but it was more than just horrible.

* * *

He has brought coffee at morning for his love

The light is twisting from the window at every moment of happiness

May do magics all day long under the blanket

And feel how the snow is covering the land

He crossed his hands, and turned his gaze quietly above

And thanked oh how he has gained love so

He always wished for much but got more

For one thing he did not know:

For a fleeting moment love is snow white

It is pure as snowdrift on February

Oh if once the glory of it lasted longer

But at the night it will always vanish and fade away

Bitterness never asks for permission when entering

And a small eternity may separate tears

When a child falls asleep at arms after a long day

Or asks to come back home

For a fleeting moment love is snow white

It is pure as snowdrift on February

Oh if once the glory of it lasted longer

But at the night it will always vanish and fade away

And so the the morning stepped inside from the window,quiet

After staying up the night he still put a note in a letter

And in the yard saw how beautiful the world can be

Even if there is no god

For a fleeting moment love is snow white

It is pure as snowdrift on February

Oh if once the glory of it lasted longer

But at the night it will always vanish and fade away

~**Yö - Rakkaus on lumivalkoinen (in Finnish) / Love is snow white**

* * *

**Order in the world,**

**it's unbroken,**

**Everything has a locker, tiny closet**

**Silent and invisible is that law,**

**Who can come near you and touch**

**Tonight the lockers get mixed,**

**Love is limitless, honest and innocent**

**Let your shell break up,**

**Be free, be free**

**Love is (Love is)**

**Sempiternal and enormous,**

**It's unlimited, completely innocent,**

**No matter how you chain it**

**Love is (Love is)**

**Newborn and defenseless,**

**It's unlimited, completely innocent,**

**No matter how you judge it**

**Come hell or high water you know it already,**

**Everyone won't accept but don't stop**

**You have a permission to be happy,**

**Someday your heart will be fearless**

**Love is (Love is)**

**Sempiternal and enormous,**

**It's unlimited, completely innocent,**

**No matter how you chain it**

**Love is (Love is)**

**Newborn and defenseless,**

**It's unlimited, completely innocent,**

**No matter how you judge it**

**More brave...**

**More sure...**

**Day by day**

**More easy...**

**Love is**

**Love is**

**Love is (Love is)**

**Sempiternal and enormous,**

**It's unlimited, completely innocent,**

**No matter how you chain it**

**Love is (Love is)**

**Newborn and defenseless,**

**It's unlimited, completely innocent,**

**No matter how you judge it**

**~Antti Tuisku - Rakkaus on/Love is (in Finnish Rakkaus on)**

* * *

Go and listen you can search them in Finnish. It might sound odd but I love these. And I am really sad that the singer (Olli Lindholm) of the band Yö died last year. It was a really huge shock for most of us Finnish people.


	15. Should I stop writing?

Hey, I have been gone so long and some of you aren't even reading anymore so I have begun to think that I should stop writing. What do you think? Please tell me.

Thank you ~Erika


	16. Chapter 14

Chapter 13: You might be grumpy and always sour...

**A/N: I am really really tired, sorry you have waited for ages again. Please review when you have read the chapter. **

* * *

Hermione rushed out of the Headmaster's office straight to the hospital wing. _"Severus... I need to find him."_ she thought desperately.

"Miss Granger where are you heading at?" Madam Pomfrey asked her with slight confusion.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Pomfrey could you tell me where Sev... Maser Snape is?" Hermione asked nervously staring on the ground.

"Ah, follow me, dear," Pomfrey said and began to walk towards closed curtains. "Severus is there, I put the curtains around his bed because I thought that it would be better that way."

Hermione didn't trust her voice to say anything and just nodded her response while staring at her potions master. He was looking so peaceful in Hermione's eyes that she didn't notice the look that Madam Pomfrey gave her. She came back to reality when Pomfrey spoke to her.

"You like him, Hermione, don't you?" the mediwitch asked her with a smile playing on her face. Hermione looked at her dumbfounded, was it that obvious what she felt for him? "I saw the way you watched him I am not blind Hermione."

"Oh..." Hermione gasped flushing furiously. "Is it that obvious?"

* * *

"Please headmaster let me stay here," Hermione pleaded and looked at the headmaster.

"Are you sure you wanted to stay?" Albus asked calmly. "You should rest Hermione, it isn't good for you to over exhaust yourself."

"Please, headmaster, I promise that I will rest..." Hermione began.

"...after he has woken up," a soft voice spoke from the doors. Hermione turned around to see that Remus was there looking at them.

"How did you know what I was about to say?" Hermione asked amazed.

"I just guessed it, I actually know when someone has her or his eyes on someone and that they would do anything for them," Remus said smiling sadly. "I hope Severus gets better soon because I don't want to see you unhappy."

And before Remus could have said anything else Hermione had run and thrown her arms around him. "Thank you, Remus, I knew I could trust on you," Hermione said and gave him a kiss on the cheek which made Remus blush fiercely.

"Uhm, you are welcome," Remus mumbled out watching how the younger witch sat on the bench she had made next to Severus' bedside.

"Remus, cheer up, you will find someone," Minerva said standing next to Remus who was now looking at her.

"You believe so?" Remus asked curiously, "Who would like to date a werewolf?"

"Just wait for it my boy, wait," Minerva said while observing Hermione holding Severus' hand. "They are going to be a cute couple. Hermione and Severus I mean. I think Hermione is able to soften him a bit even make him speak or something," she finally stated out and turned to look at Remus.

"Yes, I think so too. I like Hermione though and I don't want her to get hurt," Remus said smiling and cheering up a little. "Thanks, Min, that helped me to sort out some of my thoughts."

"You are welcome, I guess you got a letter from someone, maybe you should go and read it, it might be important," Minerva said before going to stand next to Albus.

"Minerva, you are almost as meddling as me," Albus said with a wicked smile his eyes twinkling like diamonds.

"Me, no, you must have confused me to someone else," Minerva replied with a grin.

* * *

"Severus I have stayed next to you for a few nights now and I have to go to sleep. I hope you understand," Hermione said three nights later and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Oh, Remus, you have woken up already," she said yawning out of tiredness.

"I thought you would like to go to sleep, I will watch out for Severus for you," Remus announced and looked at her, "I will come and wake you if he, Severus, wakes up. I promise."

"Thanks, Remus, you're being really nice," Hermione replied and stood up from her seat.

"Anything for you, Hermione," Remus said smiling.

"Thank you," Hermione said making her way to the doors. _"I know the right woman for him," _Hermione thought with a grin. She knew pretty well that after Tonks Remus had had a really bad crush on her, but there was someone else who had liked Remus for ages. Not that Hermione, didn't like him but she didn't like him on the way he had liked her.

* * *

"Minerva, what do you like about my idea?" Hermione asked grinning slightly and looking at her former head of the house.

"It is just brilliant! I couldn't expect less from you," Minerva replied smiling happily. "I have waited for someone to have a hit on Remus. Poor man being lonely."

"I want him to be happy, I love Severus, I really do, I just..." Hermione began and was interrupted by McGonagall.

"You couldn't be happy with anyone else," Minerva said and smirked when saw Hermione blushing. "You don't need to hide it, Hermione, I know of your feelings already."

"Do you think that he will ever love me?" Hermione asked and smiled sadly, "Am I just wasting my time? I don't want to wait for eternity."

"Severus is a very private man and I guess he won't understand his feelings until you show him yours," Minerva explained and smiled courageously to her former student.

"I have already told him about my feelings, but..." Hermione began but was immediately interrupted by Minerva.

"He rejected you? Oh dear, he made a grave mistake," Minerva said more to herself than Hermione. _"Damn that stubborn man." _McGonagall thought angrily and glared at the table before her. "Ah, Hermione you are able to go now, and please call me Minerva now on."

"Yes, pro-Minerva, of course," Hermione replied and left McGonagall's office.

* * *

"Severus I guess you won't hear me, but I am really sorry what I did for you, it wasn't right. I know you would have already guessed that I am Remus and probably had scowled at me. But please do me a favor and wake up, Hermione needs you just like we others need you here at Hogwarts. You might be grumpy and always sour but you brighten our day with your sarcasm. I don't know why Hermione fell for you but you deserve it more than anyone else," Remus spoke looking at his co-worker.

"I didn't know that you were that emotional speaker," someone said aloud and Remus turned around faster than ever as he got started.

"Hermione, please, don't do that again... I almost got a heart attack," Remus pleaded as he scowled slightly at her.

"And I thought you were a Gryffindor," Hermione said giggling and sat right next to him. "Always brave and everything."

"Oh, you shut up," Remus said playfully and smiled at her. "I really hope Severus to wake up. And if... if he doesn't remember Hermione that I will be always there for you."

"Thank you, Remus. You are a really good friend," Hermione replied and leaned her head at Remus' shoulder, "I hope that he wakes up, I..."

"Love him?" Remus finished her sentence when Hermione had lost the words she was about to say.

"Yes, I love him," Hermione said and a single tear fell down her cheek.

* * *

**A/N: I hate school, I am always tired. And my winter vacation will be a week of work, I am going to Confirmation camp and work there as a junior group leader (Isonen) so I don't have the holiday I needed. **

**Please review**


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 14. Awaken

**A/N: I have been on a confirmation camp as a group leader (Isonen) for a week and it has been kind of tiring. Also, I sprained my ankle and it really hurts when I walk. Going to see the doctor tomorrow.**

**And remember to wash your hands. Stay safe**💛

* * *

Several weeks had gone and Hermione was once again seated next to Severus' bed. She missed her potions master very much and the hope of him waking up was getting lower and lower day by day. "Severus, I hope that you'd wake up, I need you," she whispered taking his hand and squeezing it. "I have waited for you and I always will," Hermione said determinedly.

"Any changes?" Remus asked when he came and sat beside Hermione.

"No," Hermione said and let go of Severus' hand. Then something happened... Severus' fingers were moving.

"Hermione, look," Remus said amazed. "Is he waking up?"

Hermione just sat staying quiet as it was she was speechless. She reached for his hand and stood up. "Severus, wake up, please," Hermione pleaded, holding Severus' hand as her life was depending on it.

"Hee-oo-nee," he muttered out but no-one could tell what he was about to say.

* * *

While in Severus' mind...

_"I need to get out of here now, I have to wake up, there's no way that I couldn't see Hermione before she changes her apprenticeship elsewhere. I- I love her."_

_Severus had seen the memories which involved his childhood and adulthood and now he was walking towards the light, maybe to the way out. As he was closer and closer to the light which was now burning his eyes he felt something. Someone was holding his hand. Then he heard something, "Severus, wake up, please."_

Severus' eyes were now open but everything in a blur. There was someone, maybe it was an angel staring down at him and holding his hand.

* * *

"He opened his eyes, Hermione!" Lupin stated the obvious while he was beaming from joy.

"Welcome back Severus'," Hermione said and touched his cheek softly, "You scared the hell out of us."

Severus' couldn't see properly who was talking to him but he would never forget the voice which belonged to the witch he loved. "Herm..." he tried but his throat was so dry that he couldn't finish what he was about to say. He was confused about his weakness.

"Shh, it is fine Severus, you haven't spoken for a long time," Hermione said and asked Remus to get Poppy.

"W-wat-er pl-please," Severus begged noticing that his vision was becoming clearer and clearer.

Hermione took her wand and summoned a glass of water giving it to her potions master who drank it with one huge gulp.

After a while Poppy run from her rooms straight to Severus' bed and looked at him with disbelieve. "You have woken up," she stated and began to check if his vital functions were normal. "Everything is normal, but I hope to keep you here for several days under my eyes," Poppy ordered her patient and smiled down at him.

"Wh-What happened?" Severus questioned and looked at everyone his eyes stopping at Hermione. His heart jumped pleasantly and there were probably butterflies in his stomach.

"Ah, you should rest, Severus. We... Err... I think Hermione will tell you everything tomorrow," Poppy said and looked at Hermione who nodded her agreement. "Please, drink this and get some sleep."

Severus obeyed the mediwitch's commands and drank the liquid. After a moment he was having pleasant dreams of Hermione.

* * *

9 hours later...

"Hermione, I think you should go to sleep," Remus said and shook her a little when she was about to fall asleep in her chair. She had refused to leave from the hospital wing before Severus got back to his feet. "Please, Hermione, you have to go to sleep. You are going to get sick if you don't take some rest," Remus continued and looked at her with concern.

"But..." Hermione began but was interrupted by no-one else but Poppy Pomfrey.

"No buts, you young lady need to sleep. I don't want you to suffer from lack of sleep," Poppy said and dragged Hermione to the hospital wing's doors. "Please go to sleep, I will keep eye on Severus."

"Alright then," Hermione sighed in defeat and left to the dungeons. And at the same time, Remus decided to take his leave too.

"She is stubborn lady isn't she," Severus murmured when Hermione had left.

"Severus, please don't say that you pretended to be asleep for ten hours," Poppy sighed and smiled at him.

"No, not at all I slept probably 7 hours, I just wanted her to go to sleep," Severus said smirking.

"Severus you could have just told her to go to sleep," Poppy stated and left the room.

"It was way funnier this way," Severus replied quietly and looked out from the window where the moon and stars were shining. Maybe he should tell her how he really felt.

* * *

**A/N: I am sorry you had to wait and yes I know this chapter was short. **

**Please keep reviewing**


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 15: I have always loved you

**A/N: I am scared that this chapter won't be good at all because I haven't written at all for a long time so please don't judge me. There will be an epilogue after this, I promise and stay alert I am going to publish a new fic soon. **

* * *

Severus was once again teaching his students or dunderheads as he used to call them and along with that teaching Hermione. He loved her really much and it was torture for him to have her so close but not to touch her but it was important to him that he built up the trust they had once had. Severus kept glancing at her every now and then and he couldn't help it. _"Oh, how beautiful she is..." _Severus thought while staring at her.

"Severus, er... Master Snape, could you pass me Knotgrass?" Hermione said and noticed that he was already staring at her, "Uhm... Is there something in my hair?" With that Severus snapped back to reality realizing that he had stared at Hermione quite a while now and blushed. There was something in his eyes that made Hermione confused, was it love? It couldn't be.

"Pardon?" Severus asked because he didn't hear the question nor could he concentrate at all.

"I asked if you could pass me Knotgrass," Hermione said and gave him a smirk knowing all along what was going on.

"Oh, alright, there you go," Severus purred out giving the ingredient Hermione needed and made sure to brush her hand while doing that which made Hermione blush and her skin tickle.

_"Why the hell did he have to brush my hand, I can't concentrate at all. And he stares at me again," _Hermione thought confused, she couldn't get the touch out of her mind and decided that it was time for a break. She put her potion under a stasis spell and looked at Severus, "Severus, would you care for a tea?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, what time is it? Already 3 p.m? I guess it is time for a break," Severus replied and put his potion under a stasis spell.

When Hermione was about to go and open the door Severus made sure that he was faster than her and opened the door for her.

"I didn't know that you were such a gentleman, Severus," Hermione stated softly.

"Always, after you, my darling," Severus said with a silky voice and followed right after Hermione had stepped out from the lab.

* * *

A week later...

Hermione was slightly surprised by Severus' odd behavior it had lasted for a week not that she didn't like the way he had treated her like a queen but it was confusing. She was now giving a lesson for the fifth year Slytherins' and Gryffindors'. While the students were brewing she had time to think and grade some essays. Of course, she made sure to go and help the students if needed. _"Maybe I should speak to him and ask what is wrong." _She thought and glanced at the watch on the opposite wall standing up. "Alright, you should have finished your potions, bottle them and give them to me for grading," Hermione announced and sat back down not noticing that there was someone standing on the door looking at her.

Severus had stood there looking at her about 15 minutes straight, he had noticed how good teacher she was, Hermione was not as strict as he was but she used to help the students if needed and that was a habit he was about to take up soon.

"Professor Granger, you should say to our Potions professor... I mean Professor Snape that it is obvious that he is in love with you because he has stared at you for 15 minutes straight from the door," one of the Gryffindor students claimed and left the class with her giggling friends. Hermione was stunned and took a look at the door where Severus was standing.

"Oh my Lord, how long have you been there?" Hermione questioned giving a strict look for Severus as he came inside the class.

"I don't know," Severus murmured so quietly that Hermione had a hard time hearing what he said. And to his surprise, Hermione began to laugh.

"I think it is a time for us to speak," Hermione said taking his hand and pulling him back to their chambers.

"I agree," Severus replied softly as he felt Hermione's hand in his. Hermione almost guessed that Severus had no idea what she had said to him as he looked so distracted.

* * *

When Hermione had pulled the to the living room she dropped Severus' hand and sat down on the couch and Severus sat right next to her. Severus was slightly confused about why and what Hermione wanted to speak with him, had he done something wrong?

"Severus, I think it is time for us to speak what happened between us," Hermione said shyly and looked at Severus who was now bright red and obviously embarrassed. And before she could have said anything else Severus had opened his mouth.

"I-I am s-s-sorry H-Hermione, I d-didn't treat you the way I did... I.. I d-didn't th-hink and j-just a-acted... And I..." Severus stuttered out and before he could have finished what he was about to say Hermione interrupted him putting her index finger to his lips silencing him.

"Shhh... Severus, it is alright, I have already forgiven you for what you did. But what I don't understand is why you pushed me away," Hermione said and turned to look at him in the eyes.

"Hermione, I... I w-was u-unsure of m-my f-feelings and I c-couldn't believe that a young beautiful witch like you would like to have anything to do with an old wizard like me," Severus explained quietly and looked away from her in embarrassment.

Hermione was stunned, was he just telling her that he had feelings for her, "Are you telling me, Severus Snape t-that y-you have f-feelings for me?" she stuttered out.

"Hermione... I... I think that I am in love with you, I have always loved you. Go on and laugh," Severus stated tuRning his gaze away from her hiding his blush.

Hermione was speechless. _"He loves me?" _She felt a strange feeling going down her spine and gathered all her courage to do one thing. "Severus look at me, please," Hermione said softly and Severus turned his head back to look at her and doing that he noticed that they were very close to each other. Hermione raised her hand and touched Severus' cheek. "Don't you ever think that I would laugh at you because you love me because I Hermione Granger am in love with you Severus Snape," and saying that Hermione kissed him.

Severus' brains had stopped when Hermione's lips found his. He froze completely. _"She loves me?" _was the first thought that run to his mind. When Hermione pulled away from him Severus looked at her like she was the only woman he had ever seen and then he kissed her with passion. Severus was the first to broke the kiss and then he took Hermione's cheek to his hand. "I love you, Hermione," he said softly looking at her honey-brown eyes.

"And I love you too, Severus," Hermione replied with a smirk and kissed him again.

_THE END_

* * *

**A/N: This is the first chapter I wrote for a long time and I don't like it at all. Maybe I should have been more active. And if there are some mistakes please don't kill me. **

**Please review**


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Severus Snape was nervous, really nervous. This was the day he was going to ask Hermione to become his wife and he was really scared of what she'd respond to him. _"She is going to say no and I will be once again alone and miserable," _Severus thought anxiously and had begun to walk in circles in Dumbledore's office as that was the place where Dumbledore and McGonagall had taken him to cool down.

After a while of watching him circle, Minerva decided to open her mouth. "Severus stop already, you will make a hole to the floor," Minerva said smirking and received an ugly scowl from Severus.

"What if she rejects me? What if Hermione has realized that she has done a mistake and she doesn't love me?" Severus asked and began to walk the same circle he had been walking before.

"Severus, I have never seen anyone else so much in love than Hermione is with you. Please stop fidgeting and sit down," Minerva said softly while taking a sip of tea from her cup and watched as Severus sat down.

"Severus, my boy, it will be alright," Dumbledore said calmly as he sat down behind his table.

"I really hope so," Severus murmured standing up from his seat. It was time to go and ask Hermione to go out with him.

* * *

A few hours later...

"Hermione, my darling," Severus purred into Hermione's ear, as he stood behind her as she was brewing potions for the hospital wing. "I think we should go out together tonight, I have already got us a table from a really nice restaurant."

"Severus," Hermione replied and turned to face Severus looking him straight to his eyes and putting her arms around Severus' neck, "Yes, I would love to go out with you."

Severus lowered his head and captured Hermione's lips to his. "I love you, Hermione. I guess I will pick you up at 7 pm."

Hermione smiled up at him, "I love you too, and yes 7 pm sounds great," she replied and pulled Severus down for another kiss.

The only thought in Severus' head was _Mine_ as they kissed with passion. "I think you should go and get ready," Severus said as he pulled away from the kiss.

"You too, Severus," Hermione said and gave Severus a kiss on his cheek before going to her room to change into a better dress. She wanted to look her best when going out with Severus.

* * *

6:45 pm.

Severus was waiting for Hermione in the Great Hall, he was so nervous that his hands had begun to shake so Severus had to cross his arms to stop them shaking. There were butterflies in his stomach as well, and he had gone pale like he had seen a dead man coming back from the dead.

"Severus," said a soft voice and he turned around. Severus saw the woman he loved so much, Hermione, she was like an angel in that red evening dress and high heels and Severus couldn't stop staring at her. He opened his mouth to say something but the words couldn't come out.

"H-Hermione you... You are so beautiful," Severus finally stuttered out and offered his hand to her which Hermione took happily.

"You look fine yourself, Severus," Hermione replied smiling at him and saw that there were pink spots on Severus' cheeks.

"Err... Shall we go now?" Severus asked and the butterflies in his tummy had begun to fly again.

"I guess we shall," Hermione said and smiled at Severus her eyes twinkling like huge stars and made Severus even more nervous

And so they left the castle...

* * *

A few hours later...

Severus and Hermione had been out together all evening. They had had long conversations and a few kisses... But Severus needed one more thing, a chance to propose Hermione. They had already eaten in their favorite restaurant and both of them wanted fresh air. After a moment walking in the cold night air Severus saw his chance to do what he had wanted to get out for.

"Hermione, we have been together so long and you probably know that I love you really much..." Severus began and took Hermione's hands to his looking straight to her beautiful eyes.

_"What the hell is this? He is leaving me,"_ Hermione thought anxiously and felt pain in her chest. Her eyes filled with tears and he had to look away from his eyes. How could he do this to her? They had had the best night of their lives.

Severus noticed the tears in Hermione's eyes and thought that he had done a grave mistake. "Hermione?" he asked concerned and turned her face so he could look at her eyes, "What is it?"

"Severus it is okay if... if you wanted to leave me, I understand everything, You don't need to ruin your life just because of me..." Hermione began and the tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"But Hermione, I wanted to... I wanted to ask... if y-you'd want to become my... wife," Severus whispered and looked down to the ground as his heart had broken into a million pieces. "You would never ruin my life, Hermione..."

Hermione was shocked, the tears were still falling down her cheeks. _"I think I heard him wrong," _she thought and looked as Severus' stared at the ground. "I think I didn't hear you right, Severus, could you please repeat what you just said."

"I just wanted to ask if you'd become my wife," Severus said still staring at the ground because he didn't want to see the rejection in her face and added, "I understand if you don't want to."

"Oh Severus," Hermione gasped and threw her arms around him. "Cheer up, of course, I will marry you!"

Severus looked at her in surprise, "But... B..." he began but was silenced when Hermione's lips were on his. When Hermione pulled away Severus looked at her with amazement, "But I thought that you wanted to leave?"

"I never said that I wanted to leave Severus, I just got scared if you had gotten enough of me," Hermione said softly and looked into his eyes, "I would never leave you, and if I did I would be a dunderhead."

"Indeed," Severus replied as he spun her up to his arms and kissed her. "I think this ring belongs to you," he said and slid the beautiful diamond ring to her finger, "I hope you like it."

"I don't like it I love it!" Hermione announced and kissed her future husband lovingly. This was probably the best night of her life.

**And so they lived happily ever after. **

**THE END**


	20. HOX!

**HEY!**

**I have begun to write a new fic and it has been named Vombridge. It is part of my RP war against Voldemort. He decided that it would be fun if Snape was shipped with The Pink Toad, Umbitch. So I have decided to revenge so I came up with 4 ships that are:**

**1-Vombridge**

**2-Volch**

**3-Vobby**

**4-Vorry.**

**I hope this journey will be fun.**

**LET THE WAR BEGIN!**

* * *

PS. If you could follow my IG account as well I would be very pleased (check from my bio)

PPS. And I would be even more delighted if you read my other fics as well.


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